🍻 Craft drink earns recognition, Alumni milestone, and a look at Canada’s auto industry

🔔 Your campaign updates feed

🍻 Collective Arts celebrates a milestone!

Collective Arts is celebrating a major milestone as its Botany Energy Blue Crush was named Drink of the Week by Natalie MacLean, earning a 92 point score and national recognition. The achievement is a strong example of how Collective Arts continues to turn creative ideas into widely recognized products.

Invest in Collective Arts | $257K Raised | 52% of target

🔔 Alumni updates

💪VEGAIN celebrates the grand opening of the brand’s flagship headquarters and café in downtown Vancouver. The milestone marks a major step forward, bringing together its growing community of athletes, customers, and supporters to celebrate the brand’s continued expansion.

✨KIIMA is featured in La Presse for its innovative refillable deodorant system that helps reduce single-use plastic waste. The Quebec brand is highlighted for making eco-friendly personal care simple to support local production and more sustainable daily habits.

🥬 Fieldless is featured in BetaKit following its acquisition by Elevate Farms to form a stronger Canadian indoor farming company. The merger brings together two agtech innovators to boost year-round local food production and strengthen Canada’s food security.

🤔 What’s on our minds

🚗 The next chapter for Canada’s automotive industry

Canada’s automotive sector is entering a defining period marked by new national policy direction and growing global interest. Historically Canada’s auto industry is rooted in vehicle assembly and parts production, but now the industry is pivoting towards electric vehicles (EVs), advanced technologies, and diversified global supply chains. 

Canada’s federal government recently launched a new Automotive Strategy designed to protect existing jobs and position the country as a global leader in advanced automotive manufacturing. Central to this strategy is a series of targeted investments and fiscal measures intended to strengthen Canada’s competitive edge in EV production, clean technology, and connected vehicle manufacturing. To support investment and growth, Ottawa is committing up to $3 billion through the Strategic Response Fund and up to $100 million to initiatives targeted at vehicle assembly and parts production.

📌 Strategy, policy, and global partnerships

Canada’s new auto strategy focuses on making it easier and more attractive for companies to build and invest here. The plan offers incentives, improves rules and processes, and supports innovation in areas like electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. A big goal is to reduce Canada’s reliance on one main export market by building stronger trade relationships with more countries and boosting productivity across the industry.

Working with other countries is a key part of this plan. On January 29, 2026, Canada signed an agreement with South Korea to work more closely together on future transportation, especially electric vehicles and batteries. The agreement sets up a joint committee to encourage investment and strengthen supply chains, including important battery materials and critical minerals. This builds on a long trade relationship between the two countries. In 2024, trade between Canada and South Korea reached $24.5 billion, and South Korea remains an important partner whose auto industry already plays a role in Canada’s economy and jobs.

Interest from Europe adds to this momentum. Germany’s Economic Affairs Minister has called Canada’s strategy “very attractive” and German automakers are exploring expansion opportunities in Canada. Volkswagen and other European manufacturers have already committed to battery-related facilities in Ontario, highlighting the international confidence in Canada’s potential. As other regions face higher costs and economic pressure, Canada’s stable environment and strong EV supply chain position makes it an attractive place for new manufacturing and jobs.

🌍 What this means for Canada’s auto industry

Canada’s new auto plan is not just about keeping current factories running and more about expanding innovation in the sector. By investing in new projects and working with other countries, Canada could become an important center for electric vehicles and advanced car manufacturing, potentially leading to increased jobs and more reliable supply chains. With a focus on innovation, global partnerships, and a wider range of industries, Canada’s auto sector has the chance to become a strong driver of economic growth in the years ahead.

🎙️ Hear from our founder feature

KaleMart24: Making Healthy Convenience Convenient with Oussama (Sam) Saoudi

This podcast was recorded back in 2023

Q: What inspired the creation of KaleMart24?
 A: The idea came from a simple realization: healthy food options are hard to find on the go. Convenience stores are everywhere, but most are stocked with junk food. I wanted to create a store where busy, health-conscious consumers, especially Millennials and Gen-z, could grab nutritious snacks and beverages easily.

Q: What makes KaleMart24 stand out in a crowded convenience market?
 A: KaleMart24 combines the accessibility of a convenience store with the quality and experience of a small natural market. We source the best organic and natural foods, support local suppliers, and design stores to feel welcoming and modern. It’s convenience without compromise, and we’re creating a model that can scale across neighborhoods in Canada and the U.S.

Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about KaleMart24’s journey?
 A: The opportunity to redefine what a convenience store can be. No one else is offering healthier, better-for-you options at this scale. From our first stores in Montreal to franchises across North America, it’s about making nutritious, convenient food available to everyone, everywhere.

🎧 Want to listen to the full episode?

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